The GENES Blog (GEnealogy News and EventS): Top stories concerning ancestral research in Britain, Ireland, and their diasporas, from Irish born Scottish based professional family historian, author and tutor Chris Paton. Feel free to quote from this blog, but please credit The GENES Blog if you do so. To contact me please email chrismpaton @ outlook.com.

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Monday, 30 January 2017

Full marks to Ancestry.com

I don't often mix politics and genealogy on this blog, despite being quite a politically minded person, but sometimes the two worlds collide on their own, making it legitimate to comment.

I have just read the reported words of Tim Sullivan, CEO of Ancestry.com, from an email written to his staff in the aftermath of US President Donald Trump's executive order to stop migrants from seven countries gaining access into the United States, even if they have dual nationality. You can read the full text of the email on Thomas MacEntee's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/tmacentee/posts/10209978074821353.

In his message. Mr. Sullivan is reported to have said:

"Ancestry is stronger due to the diversity of our employees' personal and professional experience, so we have a clear business interest in not seeing America’s doors slammed shut to those that desire to come here and to contribute to our national strength, regardless of religion, race, or national origin. Ancestry is also a company whose values are on display every day, and I’m proud to be part of a company that strives to have a positive impact on people’s lives, respects every person’s story, and celebrates the diversity of everyone’s ancestry. So I want to clearly affirm that the content and intent of President Trump’s executive order on Friday, as well as the disturbing actions that were unleashed by this order, represent the total antithesis to the values of our company."

COMMENT: I completely applaud Ancestry for taking a stance on this. As the last year's Brexit shenanigans have shown in the UK, these are not rational times - and as history has shown over and over again, there are always unintended consequences to such poor decisions.

(With thanks to Thomas MacEntee)

Chris

For details on my genealogy guide books, including A Beginner's Guide to British and Irish Genealogy, A Decade of Irish Centenaries: Researching Ireland 1912-1923, Discover Scottish Church Records (2nd edition), Discover Irish Land Records and Down and Out in Scotland: Researching Ancestral Crisis, please visit http://britishgenes.blogspot.co.uk/p/my-books.html.